May 29, 2016Verse of the DayHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, Ephesians 5:25-26 NIVPositive ThoughtsWho are your friends? Posted: 28 May 2016 06:43 AM PDTWho are your friends? They are the people who are there in hard times or when you're hurting beyond words. Or with a few words of encouragement and concern, make you realize you're really not lost at all. Friends comes in both sexes, in all shapes, colors and sizes, but the most important thing they have in common, is the ability to share with you, your best joys and your deepest sorrows, for they are your friends.~Glen Campbell.I guess the real fact of the matter is, we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring and the only thing we really have is right now. So, don’t stay angry for too long and learn to forgive. Love your friends and family with all your heart. Have fun and live your life the way you want to live it. Most of all, don’t worry about people that don’t like you and enjoy the ones who do.

May 27, 2016Verse of the DayFight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.1 Timothy 6:12 NIV​Positive ThoughtsMake the Most of Your Opportunities.Posted: 27 May 2016 04:17 AM PDTLike many other youngsters, I played Little League baseball. I was a pretty good fielder, but when it came to hitting, I was -- to put it bluntly -- pathetic. That's because I was afraid of getting hit by the ball. So, when the pitcher reared back to throw, I'd tend to back away from the plate.One day in my little league "career" stands out in my memory. It was my turn to bat, and I stepped up to the plate to face one of the best pitchers in the league. This kid threw hard. Well, he fired a fastball and I swung. CRACK! By some miracle, I hit the ball and sent a long line drive between the center fielder and right fielder.Let me tell you, I was stunned, never having heard that sound come from MY bat before. So, I began to race around the bases frantically, chugging as fast as I could. The ball rolled so far that there was no way the outfielder could retrieve it in time. I could have crawled around the bases and made it home safely.Well, after I crossed home plate my teammates jumped all over me. They, too, were amazed by my slugging prowess. I was elated . . . until, out of the corner of me eye, I saw the catcher from the opposing team walking toward our dugout. He had the ball in his hand . . . and he tagged me.The home plate umpire yelled, "You're out! You missed home plate." Talk about the agony of defeat -- not to mention the embarrassment! My home run was snatched away from me. Then, adding insult to injury, the first base umpire said, "He missed first base also." Oh, well--at least I touched two of the four bases.How did it happen? Why did I have so much trouble running the bases and completing the home run? My problem was, I didn't expect to hit the ball. So when I did, I wasn't prepared.You see, when your expectations are low, it's hard to take advantage of "the breaks" that come your way. With that in mind, here are two specific suggestions to help you make the most of your opportunities.Adjust Your AttitudeWhen I stepped up to the plate in those Little League games, I had a lousy attitude. I kept telling myself, "I'm not a good hitter," and "I'll never hit the ball very far." This became a self-fulfilling prophecy and, as a result, I rarely hit the ball. When I did hit the ball into the outfield that day, I was stunned and ran around the bases like a chicken without a head. Remember, low expectations lead to disappointing results.Are there any areas of your life where you're giving yourself negative messages right now? If so, it's important to change your attitude immediately. Otherwise, your performance will remain at a low level.Be PreparedA positive attitude, by itself, won't guarantee that you make the most of your opportunities. The next crucial step is preparation.Because I didn't expect to hit the ball, I didn't study the technique for running the bases. (There is a proper technique, you know!) Had I practiced navigating the diamond, I would have been more successful when I actually hit the ball.The same is true in your career. Let's say John is a successful salesperson and has a chance to be promoted to district manager. What kinds of skills might be important for him to develop? First, he'll probably be required to do some public speaking at monthly meetings or sales conventions. If John isn't already an accomplished speaker, he'd do well to join a group like Toastmasters to improve his speaking skills.John may also need help in motivating and managing a staff with diverse personalities. He can read books, attend seminars and obtain guidance from other successful managers to develop this skill. Regardless of his approach, however, if John fails to prepare, he probably won't make the most of his promotion when it comes; and he may not even land the promotion at all.By the way, when should John start to prepare? As early as possible! The sad truth is, most people start to prepare when it's too late. If John aspires to be a district manager, he should start preparing well before he gets the promotion. That way, he'll demonstrate that he deserves to move up the ladder and, when he gets the new job, he'll be ready to show his stuff!It all comes down to this: when you combine a great attitude with thorough preparation, you're sure to hit many home runs! Jeff Keller is the President of Attitude is Everything, Inc. For more than 15 years, Jeff has delivered presentations on attitude and motivation to businesses, groups and trade associations throughout the United States and abroad. Jeff is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, Attitude is Everything. For more information, go to http://www.attitudeiseverything.com

May 25, 2016Verse of the Day“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24 NIV​Positive ThoughtsChoose the Path That Makes the Best Story.Posted: 24 May 2016 03:06 PM PDTHow do we keep from living a life with regret? In the introduction to this book I mentioned a woman named Margaret who told me how she tried to live her life from the perspective of an old woman sitting in a rocking chair on the porch. She told me that whenever she had a decision to make she asked herself this question: "When I am an old woman sitting in my rocking chair thinking about my life, what decision will I wish I had made?" She told me that in almost every case, the path she should take became clear to her. Deena Metzger, well-known author and spiritual guide, put it this way: "Choose the path that makes for the best story."This is an interesting but simple way to live a life with ho regrets. We continually look ahead and ask ourselves when I am old or when I come to the end of my life will I regret the step I am about to make? Will the way I am living now lead to the path of regret or no regrets?Earlier in my life, as a young adult, I had many opportunities to do interesting things. As I listened to the stories of people's lives, I realized that some of my most significant regrets have to do with the opportunities I turned away, often because of fear. One of these moments occurred while I was in seminary studying for the ministry. On two occasions I was offered a summer chaplaincy internship in two of America's great national parks, Grand Teton and Shenandoah. Nature had always held a special place in my heart, but I grew up in a large city and I had never had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in the outdoors.The idea of working in a park was deeply appealing, and part of me knew the experience would be invaluable. However, I was involved in a relationship at the time and worried about being separated from this person for a few months, so I turned down the opportunity both times. To this day, I believe that if I had projected my self ahead to the old man on the porch, I might have heard myself say: "If the relationship is strong, it will survive the absence, but you love nature and may never be offered this chance again." The relationship did not last, and the opportunity never came again.There is a more recent example from my life. This past year a good friend of mine offered me the opportunity to spend a month in East Africa with 15 other mid-life men, meeting with tribal elders and camping in the wilderness. This was a dream come true, but it was my busiest time of the year, and I would have to turn down a significant amount of work to take this trip. This time, I paid a visit to that old man on the porch. He told me: "When you are my age, you won't miss the money you lost this month, but you will carry Africa in your heart." I took the trip, explored several fascinating cultures, saw amazing wilderness that I had never seen before, and missed the presence of my family, which reminded me of how much they mean to me. While in Tanzania, I sat with tribal elders and germinated the idea for this project. My worry about the interference of a "busy" schedule almost got in the way of one of the most important experiences of my life.The most important thing the conversations that led me to this book taught me about this second secret is to make sure we try for the things we want in our lives, because we are unlikely to regret trying and failing. The second most important lesson is that if there is a relationship that must be healed, heal it now. When I ask people about regrets in their lives, most of them spoke about people in their lives, about issues not resolved, words not spoken, broken relationships never healed.John Izzo

May 24, 2016Verse of the DayFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIVPositive ThoughtsWhat can I do to make my life happier?Posted: 23 May 2016 05:31 PM PDTLive your life doing what feels right to you, not what someone else thinks you should do. It’s ok to listen to advice, but in the end, make the decision that feels best for you. Being a people pleaser is a very frustrating way to live. Get in the habit of pleasing yourself. You are responsible for your own happiness. Your feelings are important. "Our self-respect tracks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic self and our heart, we earn our respect. It is that simple. Every choice matters.Life's difficulties can seem overwhelming, and you may face times when problems seem encompassing. Don't look back at what you've lost, for the road of life is never meant to be traveled backwards. Just move on and say:"Things always happen for a reason."Trust the process.We all deserve "IT." We all deserve happiness, love and success. If you do not have these things in your life, give it some thought and ponder, "What can I do to make my life happier?" For many of us, looking at our lives closely and asking ourselves this question is not an easy endeavor. But trust me. You have to do this before you can move on to happiness. Start the journey today by looking into yourself and find what makes you unhappy. Once you have determined what is making you unhappytake actions to fix it.~Charlie Maffei

May 22, 2016Verse of the DayTherefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:25 NIVPositive ThoughtsTaking Your Fun Every Day as You Do Your Work.Posted: 21 May 2016 01:31 PM PDTTen things are necessary for happiness in this life, the first being a good digestion, and the other nine,--money; so at least it is said by our modern philosophers. Yet the author of "A Gentle Life" speaks more truly in saying that the Divine creation includes thousands of superfluous joys which are totally unnecessary to the bare support of life.He alone is the happy man who has learned to extract happiness, not from ideal conditions, but from the actual ones about him. The man who has mastered the secret will not wait for ideal surroundings; he will not wait until next year, next decade, until he gets rich, until he can travel abroad, until he can afford to surround himself with works of the great masters; but he will make the most out of life to-day, where he is."Why thus longing, thus forever sighing,For the far-off, unattained and dim,While the beautiful, all round thee lying,Offers up its low, perpetual hymn?"Happy the man, and happy he alone,He who can call to-day his own;He who, secure within himself, can say:'To-morrow, do thy worst, for I have lived to-day!'"Paradise is here or nowhere: you must take your joy with you or you will never find it.It is after business hours, not in them, that we break down. We must, like Philip Armour, turn the key on business when we leave it, and at once unlock the doors of some wholesome recreation. Dr. Lyman Beecher used to divert himself with a violin. He had a regular system of what he called "unwinding," thus relieving the great strain put upon him."A man," says Dr. Johnson, "should spend part of his time with the laughers."Humor was Lincoln's life-preserver, as it has been of thousands of others. "If it were not for this," he used to say, "I should die." His jests and quaint stories lighted the gloom of dark hours of national peril."Next to virtue," said Agnes Strickland, "the fun in this world is what we can least spare.""When the harness is off," said Judge Haliburton, "a critter likes to kick up his heels.""I have fun from morning till night," said the editor Charles A. Dana to a friend who was growing prematurely old. "Do you read novels, and play billiards, and walk a great deal?"Gladstone early formed a habit of looking on the bright side of things, and never lost a moment's sleep by worrying about public business.There are many out-of-door sports, and the very presence of nature is to many a great joy. How true it is that, if we are cheerful and contented, all nature smiles with us,--the air seems more balmy, the sky more clear, the earth has a brighter green, the trees have a richer foliage, the flowers are more fragrant, the birds sing more sweetly, and the sun, moon, and stars all appear more beautiful. "It is a grand thing to live, to open the eyes in the morning and look out upon the world, to drink in the pure air and enjoy the sweet sunshine, to feel the pulse bound, and the being thrill with the consciousness of strength and power in every nerve; it is a good thing simply to be alive, and it is a good world we live in, in spite of the abuse we are fond of giving it.""I love to hear the bee sing amid the blossoms sunny;To me his drowsy melody is sweeter than his honey:For, while the shades are shiftingAlong the path to noon,My happy brain goes driftingTo dreamland on his tune."I love to hear the wind blow amid the blushing petals,And when a fragile flower falls, to watch it as it settles;And view each leaflet fallingUpon the emerald turf,With idle mind recallingThe bubbles on the surf."I love to lie upon the grass, and let my glances wanderEarthward and skyward there; while peacefully I ponderHow much of purest pleasureEarth holds for his delightWho takes life's cup to measureNaught but its blessings bright."Upon every side of us are to be found what one has happily called--UNWORKED JOY MINES. And he who goes "prospecting" to see what he can daily discover is a wise man, training his eye to see beauty in everything and everywhere."One ought, every day," says Goethe, "at least to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words." And if this be good for one's self, why not try the song, the poem, the picture, and the good words, on some one else?Shall music and poetry die out of you while you are struggling for that which can never enrich the character, nor add to the soul's worth? Shall a disciplined imagination fill the mind with beautiful pictures? He who has intellectual resources to fall back upon will not lack for daily recreation most wholesome.It was a remark of Archbishop Whately that we ought not only to cultivate the cornfields of the mind, but the pleasure-grounds also. A well-balanced life is a cheerful life; a happy union of fine qualities and unruffled temper, a clear judgment, and well-proportioned faculties.In a corner of his desk, Lincoln kept a copy of the latest humorous work; and it was frequently his habit, when fatigued, annoyed, or depressed, to take this up, and read a chapter with great relief. Clean, sensible wit, or sheer nonsense,--anything to provoke mirth and make a man jollier,--this, too, is a gift from Heaven.In the world of books, what is grand and inspiring may easily become a part of every man's life. A fondness for good literature, for good fiction, for travel, for history, and for biography,--what is better than this?Orison Swett Marden

May 18, 2016Verse of the DayTherefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.James 1:21 NIV​Positive ThoughtsRemember ...Posted: 17 May 2016 03:27 PM PDTRemember your beauty when you're feeling low; your wholeness when you’re broken; you’re innocence when you feel guilty and your purpose when you are confused. For you are worth loving. You do not have to earn love. You are lovable because you exist. Rejoice in what you have, and know that fresh new experiences are always ahead. Just trust your life to be wonderful and it will be.“Its madness, to hate all roses, because you got scratched by one thorn. To give up on all your dreams; because one did not come true. To give up on all effort; because one of them failed. To lose faith in prayers; because one was not answered. To condemn all your friends; because one of them betrayed. Not to believe in love; because someone was unfaithful. Remember another chance may come up. A new friend, a new love, a new life. Never give up on anything.” but self WILL!

May 15, 2016Verse of the DayBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NIVPositive ThoughtsKeep Your Power.Posted: 14 May 2016 05:05 PM PDTMany times when a person initiates a negative message or difficult attitude, they are trying to trigger a response from you. They are trying to take away your power and make it their own. When we react, we are actually giving them what they want. Stop the cycle of negative snowballing and sell them short on what they’re looking for. Don’t bother responding and keep your power.When we’re incomplete, we’re always searching for somebody to complete us. When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we’re still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on and on until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter.

May 13, 2016Verse of the DayMy dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19 NIVPositive ThoughtsThere are certain people who come into your life and leave a markPosted: 13 May 2016 05:45 AM PDTThere are certain people who come into your life and leave a mark. Their place in your heart is tender; a bruise of longing, a pulse of unfinished business. Just hearing their names pushes and pulls at you in a hundred ways, and when you try to define those hundred ways, describe them even to yourself, words are useless.Sara ZarrDid you know that the people that seem the strongest are usually the most sensitive? That the people who exhibit the most kindness are the most hurt. Did you know the one's who act like they don't need love are the one's that need it the most? The one's who take care of everyone one need taken care of the most and the one's who smile a lot may be the one's who cry alone when no one is around.

May 12, 2016Verse of the DayMake sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIVPositive ThoughtsIt's the Little Things that Make Life Big.Posted: 12 May 2016 04:40 AM PDTDon't you just love that feeling? You know, the one you get when you take a deep breath and suddenly everything feels like it’s going to be okay. When you feel as hopeless as can be and life is stressful but then there's these moments we have every now and then when we get this feeling and you get this rush and the world stops spinning for a second and everything is clear. At that moment it is then you know you're going to be just fine. We need more of those moments.For most of life, nothing spectacular happens. If you don't enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are that you're not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn't going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.~Andy Roony

May 11, 2016Verse of the DayWhen I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Psalm 94:18-19 NIVPositive ThoughtsFive Methods I Have Used to Banish Worry.Posted: 10 May 2016 03:53 PM PDTWhen I was twenty-four years old, my eyes suddenly gave out. After reading three or four minutes, my eyes felt as if they were full of needles; and even when I was not reading, they were so sensitive that I could not face a window. I consulted the best oculists in New Haven and New York. Nothing seemed to help me. After four o'clock in the afternoon, I simply sat in a chair in the darkest corner of the room, waiting for bedtime. I was terrified. I feared I would have to give up my career as a teacher and go out West and get a job as a lumberjack. Then a strange thing happened which shows the miraculous effects of the mind over physical ailments. When my eyes were at their worst that unhappy winter, I accepted an invitation to address a group of undergraduates. The hall was illuminated by huge rings of gas jets suspended from the ceiling. The lights pained my eyes so intensely that, while sitting on the platform, I was compelled to look at the floor. Yet during my thirty-minute speech, I felt absolutely no pain, and I could look directly at these lights without any blinking whatever. Then when the assembly was over, my eyes pained me again.I thought then that if I could keep my mind strongly concentrated on something, not for thirty minutes, but for a week, I might be cured. For clearly it was a case of mental excitement triumphing over a bodily illness. I had a similar experience later while crossing the ocean. I had an attack of lumbago so severe that I could not walk. I suffered extreme pain when I tried to stand up straight. While in that condition, I was invited to give a lecture on shipboard. As soon as I began to speak, every trace of pain and stiffness left my body; I stood up straight, moved about with perfect flexibility, and spoke for an hour. When the lecture was over, I walked away to my stateroom with ease. For a moment, I thought I was cured. But the cure was only temporary. The lumbago resumed its attack.These experiences demonstrated to me the vital importance of one's mental attitude. They taught me the importance of enjoying life while you may. So I live every day now as if it were the first day I had ever seen and the last I were going to see. I am excited about the daily adventure of living, and nobody in a state of excitement will be unduly troubled with worries. I love my daily work as a teacher. I wrote a book entitled The Excitement of Teaching. Teaching has always been more than an art or an occupation to me. It is a passion. I love to teach as a painter loves to paint or a singer loves to sing. Before I get out of bed in the morning, I think with ardent delight of my first group of students. I have always felt that one of the chief reasons for success in life is enthusiasm.II. I have found that I can crowd worry out of mind by reading an absorbing book. When I was fifty-nine, I had a prolonged nervous breakdown. During that period, I began reading David Alec Wilson's monumental Life of Carlyle. It had a good deal to do with my convalescence because I became so absorbed in reading it that I forgot my despondency.III. At another time when I was terribly depressed, I forced myself to become physically active almost every hour of the day. I played five or six sets of intense games of tennis every morning, then took a bath, had lunch, and played eighteen holes of golf every afternoon. On Friday nights I danced until one o'clockin the morning. I am a great believer in working up a tremendous sweat. I found that depression and worry oozed out of my system with the sweat.IV. I learned long ago to avoid the folly of hurry, rush, and working under tension. I have always tried to apply the philosophy of Wilbur Cross. When he was governor of Connecticut, he said to me: "Sometimes when I have too many things to do all at once, I sit down and relax and smoke my pipe for an hour and do nothing."V. I have also learned that patience and time have a way of resolving our troubles. When I am worried about something, I try to see my troubles in their proper perspective. I say to myself: "Two months from now I shall not be worrying about this bad break, so why worry about it now? Why not assume now the same attitude that I will have two months from now?"William Lyon Phelps